A lecture on hand knitting. The speaker explains why interest in knitting is growing again, the financial and well-being benefits it brings, and what archaeological finds tell us about early knitting, from needles and yarns to regional styles.
One ten-gap note block in order. Gaps 31-33 are in the opening on interest in knitting, 34-35 in the benefits ('Let's consider what some of these might be'), and 36-40 in the history section that starts 'let's look back a bit to early knitting activities'.
Answer key and self-check
Type what you wrote and hit mark. Hide the key first if you haven't done the part yet. Every question number jumps to its explanation.
How to attack this block: The notes paraphrase almost every gap: 'vanish' becomes disappear, 'hardship' becomes difficulty, 'unearthed' becomes findings. Listen for the meaning, not the note's words. Watch word class too: 34 and 35 need adjectives, the rest are nouns.
Question 31
Answer: grandmotherWhen the lecturer says 'When someone says the word knitting'
Who do we picture when we think of knitting?
we might well picture an elderly person … grandmother perhaps - sitting by the fire knitting garments
Question says → You hear
We imagine someone like awe might well picture
Why: The lecturer pictures an elderly person, 'a grandmother perhaps'. 'Someone like a ...' needs a single noun, so grandmother.
The trap: 'Elderly person' is two words and the limit is one. Family is said right after, but it's who the grandmother knits for.
Question 32
Answer: decadeWhen the lecturer calls knitting 'an activity of the past'
How long ago was knitting expected to disappear?
during the previous decade, it was one of the skills that was predicted to vanish from everyday life
Question says → You hear
was expected to disappearwas predicted to vanish
A ... agoduring the previous decade
Why: 'The previous decade' becomes 'a decade ago', and 'predicted to vanish' is 'expected to disappear'.
The trap: Century or generation fit the pattern 'a ... ago', and 'generation' is said a moment later. But the time phrase you hear is the previous decade.
Question 33
Answer: equipmentAfter the lecturer says interest in knitting classes is rising
What are people buying more of for knitting?
With that trend, we're also seeing an increase in the sales figures for knitting equipment.
Question says → You hear
People are buying morean increase in the sales figures
Why: Higher sales figures means people are buying more. The thing they're buying is knitting equipment.
The trap: Classes are in the previous note. Machines are mentioned just after, but as what can do the job for us, not what people buy.
Question 34
Answer: economicThe first benefit, after 'Let's consider what some of these might be'
What kind of difficulty can knitting help with?
it's still true today that knitting can be helpful if you're experiencing economic hardship
Question says → You hear
gives support in times of ... difficultyknitting can be helpful if you're experiencing economic hardship
Why: 'Helpful' becomes 'gives support', and 'hardship' becomes 'difficulty'. The adjective, economic, stays the same.
The trap: Financial fits the meaning and comes later ('the financial outlay is minimal'), but in the wrong place. Write the word in the hardship sentence.
Question 35
Answer: basicWhen the lecturer says the results can be very rewarding
What level of skill do you need to start knitting?
even though the skills you need to get going are really quite basic and the financial outlay is minimal
Question says → You hear
requires only ... skillsthe skills you need to get going are really quite basic
little money to startthe financial outlay is minimal
Why: 'To get going' means to start, and the skills are 'quite basic'. The note turns it around as 'only basic skills'.
The trap: Minimal is right next to it, but it describes the money, which the note already covers with 'little money'.
Question 36
Answer: roundAt the start of the early knitting section, after 'archaeological remains'
What shape were early knitted items?
the earliest pieces of clothing that have been found suggest that most of the items produced were round rather than flat
Question says → You hear
Findings showthe earliest pieces of clothing that have been found suggest
in shaperound rather than flat
Why: 'Round rather than flat' gives you the shape. Round is the answer; flat is what they weren't.
The trap: Flat is said right after round and is the shape of most knitting today. The example of socks and gloves in one piece supports round.
Question 37
Answer: boneAfter the lecturer compares four or five needles with today's two
What natural material, besides wood, were the first needles made of?
the very first needles people used were hand carved out of wood and other natural materials, like bone
Question says → You hear
natural materials such as wood andwood and other natural materials, like bone
Why: 'Other natural materials, like bone' gives the second example. Wood is printed, so bone.
The trap: Steel and plastic come next, but they're what modern needles are made of, and they aren't natural.
Question 38
Answer: roughWhen the lecturer lists the yarns ancient people used
How did early yarns feel?
Ancient people knitted using yarns made from linen, hemp, cotton and wool, and these were often very rough on the skin.
Question says → You hear
Early yarns felt ... to touchthese were often very rough on the skin
Why: 'Rough on the skin' becomes 'felt rough to touch'. The gap needs an adjective after 'felt'.
The trap: Linen, hemp, cotton and wool are materials, not how they felt. Warmth comes up later, about wool.
Question 39
Answer: styleWhen the lecturer says knitting was practised in many parts of the world
What did different regions develop their own of?
because it was practised in so many parts of the world for so many purposes, regional differences in style developed
Question says → You hear
Geographical areas had their ownregional differences in style developed
Why: 'Regional differences in style' becomes 'areas had their own style'. The singular fits the note.
The trap: 'Visual identity' follows straight after and means much the same, but it's two words. Purposes is in the same sentence but is about why people knitted.
Question 40
Answer: sheepAt the end of the talk, about knitting while doing other tasks
What did people look after while knitting?
men, women and children took every opportunity to knit, for example, while watching over sheep, walking to market or riding in boats
Question says → You hear
looking afterwatching over sheep
Why: 'Watching over' means looking after, and the thing being watched is sheep. The word is the same in singular and plural.
The trap: Children is in the same sentence, and people do look after children, but here they are the ones knitting. Market and boats are other tasks, not things you look after.
The note already has 'difficulty', so the gap is the adjective in front of it. The lecturer says 'economic hardship', and you must change nothing: economic, not economy.
Wood is printed in the note, and steel and plastic come right after as modern materials. The other natural material is bone, said quickly in 'like bone'.
Three everyday tasks are listed: watching over sheep, walking to market and riding in boats. Only the first is about looking after something, so sheep.
Words from this recording worth keeping
garments(Introduction)
items of clothing
homely(Interest in knitting)
simple, comfortable and family-like
vanish(Interest in knitting)
disappear completely
went into decline(Interest in knitting)
became less common or important
hardship(Benefits of knitting)
a difficult situation, often from lack of money
financial outlay(Benefits of knitting)
the money you spend to start something
archaeological remains(Early knitting)
old objects found by digging
unearthed(Early knitting)
dug up from the ground
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The full Cambridge 16 Test 3 listening paper with the real audio: all four parts, played once, marked the moment you finish. Already done it? Take it again and listen for the traps this page showed you.
Cambridge IELTS 16, Test 3, Listening Part 4. The recording, transcript and questions belong to Cambridge University Press and are not reproduced here. We quote short extracts of the transcript only as evidence for our own commentary, and the answers are published for self-marking. Get the book for the full material, or sit the test on Langujet.
